


Mr. Vice-President

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Angst, Drama, Episode Tag, Episode: s06e22 2162 Votes, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-10-22
Updated: 2006-10-22
Packaged: 2019-05-31 08:18:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15115469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: Leo just thought of the blood pumping through his veins.  He was back...leading the charge for the last time.





	Mr. Vice-President

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

  
Author's notes: Normally I wouldn't have done this, but I felt the need to go back and change some things I wrote in this story. The gist of it remains but there was something missing and I think I finally captured it. Better late than never, I guess.  


* * *

“CJ?”

“How could you do this you son of a bitch?”

“CJ.”

“He jumped on it but you knew that he would. You have been trying to see this for four years.”

“He is not fragile. Maybe you need to stop treating him that way.”

CJ turned and looked at Josh. Her arms were crossed, her face tearstained. Too much was happening right now for this to fall on her shoulders.

“You sit down and tell his four year old and three year old that daddy is dead because Uncle Josh had to be the guy that the guy depends on. Why did you do this?”

“He is the guy CJ. He should’ve gone all the way but I am taking him to the second highest office in the land.”

“This is not about Leo Josh, this is about you.”

“We owe him everything.” Josh said. “Where would any of us be without him? Where would you be?”

“I need him at my side now, helping to raise our children. He is 60 years old.”

“He is fine CJ. Look at the energy…the pep in his step. This is his second wind.”

“His second wind was waking up after double bypass surgery. I cannot believe you would do this to us. While you are living in campaign la-la land, I am living in the real world. You have no idea what you have done.”

Toby walked in the room and looked at Josh.

“I think you should just go Josh.” He said.

“Toby?”

“There is nothing you can say right now that won't make her want to kill you. CJ and I have to conduct the business of running the country. I am sure that you have things to do.”

Josh nodded, grabbing his bag. He had plenty of work to do and still needed to see Leo.

“I am sorry CJ. You know I would never do anything to hurt you.”

“Get out.” She replied.

Josh left, hoping he would not be on her bad side for long. Toby studied her closely…she looked a few seconds from flying into a rage.

“Kate Harper believes, and the FBI backs her up, that the leak came from inside the west wing.” He said.

She shook her head. Right now, she could care less.

“I'm leaving.”

CJ walked over to her desk, throwing things into her briefcase.

“CJ?”

“I cannot do this anymore Toby. I'm finished.”

“What?”

“I am going home to hug my kids. I never see them anymore unless they are asleep. If all hell breaks loose, call Cliff Calley. You know what; Leo is his right hand man. Call him.”

She threw her bag over her shoulder and walked out without another word. Toby followed her but they did not speak. She signed out; they walked outside.

“Why are you following me?” she asked.

“I can talk to CJ out here.” He replied.

“If no one else cares, then why should I? I did not leak anything about military space shuttles and I don’t care who did. I am sick of everyone and my husband is at the top of the list. In 100 days I was going to be normal again…he had no right to do this.”

“You could still be normal.” Toby said. “Vinick is going to be difficult to beat.”

“What if he isn’t? Didn’t everyone think the same thing about Ritchie?”

Toby nodded. She looked at him. 

“I don’t know how to comfort you.” He said.

“Maybe you were right Toby.”

“Whatever you are going to say, don’t. You'll get through this.”

“I am going home. I can be reached by cell phone.”

“Did he really not consult you at all?” Toby asked.

CJ smiled, though there was nothing behind it but darkness.

“Guess. He huddled with the President, Josh, and Matt Santos; the only people that matter to him. By the time I found out about it he was on stage.”

“You'll be a beautiful Second Lady.” Toby said.

“It has been a long time since I slapped you Toby.”

He touched her arm.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She climbed into the back of her Lincoln and was gone.

\---------------------------------------------------------

Leo heard the laughter as he walked through the living room toward the den. Then he heard the children’s voices. He stood in the doorway.

“Hey there.”

“Daddy!”

The kids, surrounded by paper and crayons, jumped up to greet their father. Leo picked up Charlie and CJ cringed. He was showing off…proving he was still strong.

“Mommy came home early.” Tim said. “She played with us all day.”

“Did you have fun?” Leo asked.

“Yeah!”

He put Charlie down and she went back to her coloring. Tim looked back and forth between his parents; he could sense the tension.

“What's up Tim?” Leo asked.

“What’s wrong?” Tim asked.

Leo rustled his reddish brown hair and smiled.

“Everything is fine. Go on, go color with mommy.”

Tim looked at his father once more and sat back on the floor. CJ still looked at Leo.

“Hey babe.” He said.

“At this point I don’t know if I am ever speaking to you again.” Her voice was quiet and calm.

“Can we talk in the kitchen?” Leo asked.

“There is nothing to talk about.”

She went back to her coloring. Surprisingly, it did calm her nerves. CJ had a great afternoon off with the kids. She pulled them out of preschool, took them shopping, played in the park, and then home for dinner and coloring. Mitch was out of town this week…she had her babies all to herself. Leo looked at her profile for a few minutes and then went to the kitchen for dinner. He would wait until the kids went to bed to talk to her. He knew she needed time to let this sink in.

\-----------------------------------------------------------

“I am not sharing this bed with you.” CJ undressed near her closet. “I made up the bed in the guest room.”

“CJ, that bed kills my back.”

“I don’t care…I'm sleeping there.”

“We need to talk about this.” He said.

She stood in front of him for a few minutes in nothing but panties before pulling her nightgown over her head. Subconsciously, she was teasing him.

“I am not talking to you right now. I am so angry I can't even see straight.”

“It is an emeritus position CJ. The Vice-President doesn’t do anything; I say that with the utmost respect.”

“You will be the President of the Senate.”

“How many times will I get to abuse that power?” Leo asked.

“It may be window dressing, or whatever you like to call it, but the Vice-President spends a lot of time traveling. What about the kids Leo, and what about me? I don’t want to be Second Lady. I want to be normal, take my kids to the park and dance half-naked in my den to disco records. You didn’t even consult me.”

“I need to apologize for that. We…”

“We who!” CJ exclaimed. “The only we you need to concern yourself with is your family. Do you know what this means? People are going to follow our children to school. We’re going to have a team of Secret Service agents. There will be threats, possibly more gunshots. I am not going through this again I swear to God.”

“CJ, you are making too much of this. I am fine and we’ll be fine.”

“You had a heart attack a year ago! Why are you doing this? You're never going to stop, are you? You promised me. You're never going to stop.”

“I am giving Santos one term; we already discussed it. It was the only way I would be on the ticket.”

“What about the rigorous campaign schedule? Are you thinking about that? You're a fucking idiot; you need rest, exercise, and a limited work schedule.”

“Then that is the way we’ll do it.” Leo said.

“Oh so now I am supposed to believe that you are going to obey all the rules? I hate you right now. You're a liar and I can't trust you.”

“Don’t say that to me.”

“You're destroying us! I will not let the press tear our lives apart or hurt my children. This is not just about you. What did you think, that I would just be overjoyed about this?”

For the first time Leo admitted to himself that he had not thought of CJ and the children at all. He thought of the fresh blood running through his veins after speaking to Josh. He was not useless…he would help run the country. He would save the party. It would be his last act of political life. By the end of the term he would be 64 and he would settle wherever CJ wanted to go.

He didn’t think of her. He didn’t think of the hell she’d been through or the hell she was living now. The kids being followed to school and the extra detail never entered his mind. Leo just thought of the blood pumping through his veins. He was back…leading the charge one last time. He looked at her.

“What do you want me to say?” he asked.

CJ threw her hands up in the air.

“Don’t say a goddamned thing! You’ve said enough.”

She went to leave the room and Leo took hold of her wrist.

“Let me go Leo. The conversation is over.”

“I don’t want…” he still had a hand on her wrist.

“I don’t care what you want! You betrayed me and that is the last promise you'll ever break.”

“I don’t like what you're saying.” He said.

“Go to hell!”

She wrenched herself away, pulling too hard and hitting the wall.

“CJ, are you alright?”

She was crying; Leo wanted to check to see if she was hurt. He took hold of her shoulder.

“Get your hands off me!” she screamed. “Don’t ever touch me again you lying son of a bitch!”

“Stop being so damned out of control! We can talk about this like grownups.”

“Daddy?”

They both looked in the doorway at Tim. He was wearing his feet-in pajamas and his bottom lip trembled.

“What’s wrong?” he asked before bursting into tears.

“Oh God.” CJ looked at Leo. “Let me go…you're scaring him.”

She went to Tim, picking him up in her arms.

“Everything is OK baby.” She lied. “We’re OK.”

“You're screaming.” Tim sobbed.

“No. Um, let’s go back to your room and get some sleep, OK? Say goodnight to daddy.”

Tim waved to his father. The fat tears falling from his hazel eyes broke Leo’s heart. CJ walked out of the room. She put him back to bed with the empty promise that there would be no more yelling. Then she went into the guest room, closing the door and locking it. The conversation was over for now.

\--------------------------------------------------------

The McGarrys did not speak for a week. CJ didn’t work for two days and then returned for the last 100 days. There was still talk, whispers really, about the shuttle leak. The FBI lurked around but she didn’t care. Whatever happened now happened. Cliff walked into her office on a warm but rainy Thursday.

“You wanted to see me.” He said.

“You are meeting with Carlson from the EPA on the clean water bill. I had to push it off of my schedule.”

“Are you alright?” Cliff asked.

“Please don’t ask me that.” She sprinkled food into Jack’s bowl. “You know Cliff, we all used to joke when it got too stressful that we were going to quit after we did whatever was on our desks. I am not joking anymore. I don’t know if I can take one more day. 100 seems unbearable.”

“You can lean on me.” Cliff replied. “I know you're not overly fond of me, but that is what a deputy is for.”

“Yeah. I really appreciate it because I will be leaning on you more. Don’t worry; it will look excellent on your resume.”

Cliff left and CJ pretended to read her briefing book. Leo walked in but she refused to look at him.

“I am going to Philadelphia tomorrow.” He said.

“I know. Margaret gave me a copy of your schedule. What time is the train?”

“12:30; the speech is at five. I thought I would take the kids and make it an overnight thing. They have never been.”

“Take the kids to Philadelphia?” she asked.

“Yeah. Would you look at me please?”

CJ looked at her husband. It took all she had not to hurl things in disgust.

“It’ll be fun for them.” Leo said.

“OK. I planned to take them after we left office but I don’t know if we are leaving office now.”

Leo didn’t respond. He didn’t take his eyes off her.

“They’ll have a good time.” He said.

“Without their mother?”

“I invited you on this trip.”

“And I told you I had work to do.”

“Please. The last 100 days is as easy as the first are hard.”

“Thanks for the fortune cookie wisdom. Has anything ever been easy for us? I will be at the train station tomorrow so you won't look bad in front of the press.”

“No one cares that my wife is not speaking to me.” Leo replied.

“Fox News will care…you are the poster boy for the old party. And since CNN and MSNBC cannot be outdone it will be a story before dinner. I’ll be there.”

“Just for show?” Leo asked.

“Yeah. This is definitely just for show. Did you take your medicine?”

“Yes. I did a half hour on the treadmill, and I refused a Snickers bar CJ. A Snickers bar.”

She was livid; he could not make her laugh. It had been a long time since Leo saw her so angry. Memories of Abdul Shareef came back…she walked out on him then. She came back and told him she was pregnant with Charlie. What did she have to come back to this time? He would die if she walked out on him; Leo was sure of that. He would also never settle for being a weekend dad with his children. CJ, Charlie, and Tim were his world. This had to end now…the Vice-Presidency and his family had to stay intact.

\-----------------------------------------------------

CJ stayed out late after work; she and Toby went for drinks at the Watergate. They sat talking about the old times over wine and whiskey. Old times before Leo, before the twins, even before Andrea Wyatt and Josiah Bartlet. That first summer together in New York City, with the heat rising off the concrete and putting the city in a chokehold. The sanitation strike; CJ puking in the street from the stench. The apartment in Brooklyn with no air conditioner and that marvelous stoop where they drank beer and talked politics.

Talking about Simon and Garfunkel, and watching McMillan and Wife on the late show. Seeing Hannah and Her Sisters in the movies; meeting Dianne Wiest in Manhattan. They talked about it all; except for the sex they had that summer. Clinging to each other every night, and a couple of fabulous lazy afternoons as if it were the end of the world. Like if they didn’t cling to each other they would drift away.

She came home to the Georgetown house and found it dark. Leo was either in his study or in bed and CJ didn’t care. After she checked on the kids she went into the guest room. Leo had been right…the bed was awful for her back. CJ stripped and fell into bed. She pulled the blanket over her and welcomed sleep.

In her dreams Leo came to her, ending their major fights like he always did. He would declare it over and all fighting would cease. Then he made the most passionate love to her. CJ woke slowly, having nothing short of an orgasm in her sleep. Coming back to reality she realized she was not alone in bed. Leo’s arms were around her and his cold feet were on her skin. Taking a moment to run her hand down his body, CJ cringed. They were both naked.

She wriggled, lifting his arm from her waist. Leo opened his eyes. They looked at each other but said nothing. CJ ran her fingers through her hair.

“Its over.” Leo said.

“What?”

“All of this.”

“Are you still the Democratic nominee for Vice-President of the United States?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“Then it is not over.”

“CJ. Look, we can lose in November. Why are you letting this go on?”

“You could win in November. You realize I cannot work if I am Second Lady.”

“Yes, you can. I am not running for President. You can work wherever you want.”

“No. Now everything will reflect badly on the President.” CJ replied.

“Everyone knows that Mrs. McGarry does what she wants. This is going to be a great opportunity for you to champion any cause you want. Alzheimer’s research, childcare, women’s rights…the list is endless.”

CJ was silent for a few moments. She could see the determined and hopeful look in Leo’s eyes even in the dark.

“You broke your promises to me.” she replied.

“Not technically. I never promised to retire after the Bartlet Administration.”

“Fuck technically. Work all you want Leo, but Vice-President.”

“I know that I didn’t say I would do this either, but I am a party man CJ. You knew that when you married me. I have to apologize a million times for not consulting you, that was unacceptable, but I feel like this is the right thing to do. If we win we are going back. Josh, Sam, Donna, and Toby, all of us.”

“Did you do this to keep us together Leo?” she asked.

“I did this for the party; I did this for the President. You were there CJ; the convention was falling apart. We had to play rock paper scissors for speech times. The Democrats were crumbling in front of us. Santos is the great hope but he needs history and experience to help the train roll. That’s me.”

“I don’t know what I’ll do if you get sick again. You almost died Leo…and I almost went insane. It hasn’t been that long; have you forgotten?”

He put his arms around her and CJ didn’t fight it.

“I am not going to have another heart attack. I am going to take it easy, and obey the doctor. I don’t have a heavy speaking schedule. This is Matt’s show.”

CJ nodded. God, she could not believe that she might agree to this.

“I can't Leo, I cannot agree to this.”

“Why not baby?”

“Because I watched you struggle to come back from something that should have killed you. I don’t want stories about alcohol and valium in the Post. I don’t want microphones stuck in Tim’s face.”

“That which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. Jed Bartlet is a testament to that. One term CJ, that is all Matt will need to get the nonbelievers.”

“Four years Leo…not another damn day. If I agree to this you make that promise to me right now. And if you break it I will divorce you. I will take my children and move far away. D-I-V-O-R-C-E, do you understand?”

“OK, Tammy Wynette, I get it.”

“Now is not the time for your jokes. I shouldn’t even be considering this.”

“I know, and I appreciate it. This will be good for us. Of course if we lose, it won't matter.”

“You're not going to lose, you bastard. Toby is ready to go as soon as you say the word; I know he wrote the Philly speech. With him and Josh together, even at each other’s throats, Santos/McGarry is unstoppable.”

Leo kissed her. CJ held her hands against his chest to keep him from coming closer.

“As a matter of fact, I don’t think I'm getting off easy. You haven’t spoken to me in a week.”

“You deserved that. You scared Tim you know…he thinks we’re breaking up.”

Leo shook his head. He talked to his son and everything was fine.

“Nothing could tear us apart.” Leo said. “I love you too much.”

“I love you too, but you're not touching me.”

“CJ!”

She laughed. It was music to Leo’s ears. He really had to have her now. CJ looped her arms around his neck.

“OK, I take that back. Just because I am pissed at you I will not deprive myself.”

“I’ll go with that theory.” Leo said, maneuvering his body on top of hers. He spread her thighs with gentle hands.

CJ arched her back when he stroked her sensitive skin.

“I love you.” He breathed against her ear.

“Oh God.”

He slipped his finger in and out. CJ cried out in the dark…it had been too long.

“Don’t stop Leo.” She could hardly speak.

“I won't baby. Does it feel nice?”

“Oh yeah.”

Leo kissed down her neck, feather light kisses she hardly felt. He knew she was coming because she whimpered with every stroke.

“Oh!”

CJ threw her head back against the pillows. Leo touched her face. Thrusting inside of her, Leo found a rhythm to his lovemaking. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him as close as she could. He lifted her hips to move deeper. His stamina was getting better with the exercise…it was almost like old times.

“Oh God, you body Claudia Jean, oh God!”

“Fuck me Mr. Vice-President!” she exclaimed. 

Leo opened his eyes. Now that was a hell of a turn on. He climaxed and collapsed on top of her. CJ ran her fingers down the nape of his neck. They both listened to the sounds of their twin heartbeats.

“Promise me that this is the right thing Leo.” She whispered.

“It is the right thing. Win or lose this is it.”

CJ nodded, holding him close.

“How haven’t I killed you over the past seven years?” she asked.

“I don’t know baby; just lucky I guess. Are you going to forgive Josh?”

CJ sucked her teeth as Leo moved onto the bed.

“Yeah. I still reserve the right to slap him in the back of the head though.”

Leo laughed.

“We all reserve that right. He’ll take it over you being mad at him any day.”

The party, the President, the family, her family…how could a woman keep so many allegiances? As she held Leo in her arms and listened to his breathing as he fell asleep, CJ knew she would follow him to the ends of the Earth. Like Butch and Sundance, they had been there before. If the fall didn’t kill them they would be just fine. Saying silent prayers of her own, CJ fell asleep.

\-------------------------------------------------------


End file.
